In the summer of 1963 I was lucky enough to be able to take part in the filming of Tom Jones starring Albert Finney and Susannah York.

I was a student at Hardyes's School and coincidentally a former pupil of the same school was at the time working for the film company responsible for the making of the film, 'Woodfall Film Productions'. Needing extras for the location scenes he sourced some of them from the school. Others were chosen at public auditions in Dorchester. My Mum and sister were picked at the public auditions to appear in the execution scene which was to be filmed on a hillside just outside Bridport. I meanwhile was at the time the leading drummer for the Hardyes' School CCF (Combined Cadet Force) Corps of Drums. Because of this, I and another drummer in the same CCF band were chosen to fulfil the role of two of the drummers to lead the tumbril bearing Tom Jones to the gallows. Close observation of the final minutes of the film will reveal what is now know on IMDB as 'goofs'. There were four drummers who appear in a street scene and at the execution site. I and three others filmed at Bridport while the street scene was filmed in, I believe, Shaftesbury. It is clear that four different extras were used in each scene. Rather a shame as my fee would have been bigger had I appeared in both scenes.

Filming took two days as many extras, film crew and actors gathered on the hillside. It was a fascinating experience and made more so as I was kept on for a few hours more after the filming finished to record a separate drum solo to be added to the soundtrack of the fim in post production. The video clip below shows my albeit minor involement in what was at the time a very successful movie.

Following this introduction to the film industry I was to have no further involvement until the opportunity arose to assist in the production of a short film which was being crowdfunded in 2017. This film 'Songbird' stars Janet Devlin as Jennifer and I am sure it will be, in it's own way, as successful as Tom Jones. My contribution was merely financial, and not very significant, so I can take absolutely no credit for anything else.